Table construction



J. w. SHAW 1,927,050

TABLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 18, 1929 Sept. 19, 1933.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jo/an ills/law 44:4 ATTORNEYS,

Sept. 19, 1933. J. w. SHAW TABLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l n n I I 1-7- INVENTOR wilim W 4 64, AT RNEYS.

Patented Sept. 19, 1933 TABLE CONSTRUCTION John W. Shaw, Norwood, N. J.

Application September 18, 1929 Serial No. 393,346

2 Claims. (01. 45-11) My present invention in its most'specific embodiment pertains to banquet tables'foruse in Another object is to provide a folding table that may be supported upon its legs in a vertical position when folded.

vAnother object is to provide a durable table top, capable of withstanding severe handling, which may be readily and firmly secured to a pedestal and readily removed therefrom.

To the attainment of the above objects, the table may include a hollow pedestal to which a plurality of supporting legs are suitably connected, the legs being adapted tooccupy an angular position with relation to the-pedestal when in use, and to fold into substantial parallelism therewith whennot in use. Suitable stop means'is provided to limit the movement of-the legsto their table supporting position, and they are preferably constructed and arranged so as to automatically move to their folded position when the pedestal is lifted to a position where the supporting legs disengage the floor or other support.

The table top is preferably braced transversely 3 against splitting and peripherally against chipping.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

5' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of table shown set up for use,

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the table top,

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation showing the table in folded or collapsed position with the top removed,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View of the table on a larger scale with certain of the parts broken away, a

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6--6 of Fig. 4, and;

Fig. '7 is a detail sectional view on the line '7'7 of Fig. 4.

In the herein illustrated embodiment, the table comprises a pedestal 10, a top 12, supporting legs 14 and leg braces 16. The pedestal is preferably of tubular metal stock, of suitable gauge, and may be rectangular in cross-section. The top of the pedestal may be flanged as at 18 to provide a support for a bearing plate 20 which, in turn, may support a stud plate 22. The bearing plate 20 and stud plate 22 may be attached in-any desired manner as by rivets 24 to the flanges 18 of the pedestal for the purpose to be hereinafter specifically pointed out.

- Each leg may be of angle iron bar, T-shaped' in cross-section including a cross web 14 and a stifiening web 14'. Legs 14 are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the pedestal 10, preferably at bearing brackets. As shown in Fig. 5, these brackets consist of right angular members 32 secured as by rivets 36 to the pedestal 10. Each of the brackets 32 has two projecting perforated ears 34, and the brackets are of such width that when secured to the pedestal 10, each ear 34 of each bracket will occupy a position in spaced relation to the contiguous ear 34 of the next adjacent bracket. Each of the T-shaped legs may be perforated near its mounted end for the reception of a rivet or similar means 30 to. form the pivotal connection between the leg and the pedestal bracket. Preferably the stiffening web 14' of each of the legs 14 is cut away near the upper end of the leg to provide a projectingportion 1'? on the cross web, which is angularly disposed to lie horizontally as shown in Fig. 4 when the table is set up for use. I

Each of the side walls of the pedestal is provided near its lower end, with a slot 38, and it will be noted, by reference to Fig. 6 that each of the slots 38 is off-set with respect to the longitudinal axis of its respective wall. These slots 38 provide means for slidably mounting and guiding a spider member 40 in the pedestal 10. The spider member 40 may comprise a strap-like member 42 to the opposite sides of which, members 44 are secured in right angular relation by suitable fastening means herein shown as angle pieces 46 secured in place by rivets 4'7. The lower end of the pedestal may be reinforced by strap-like ferrule 50 secured in any desired manner as by rivets 51, and serving as a limiting stop for spider 40.

The arms 4244 of the spider project beyond the side-walls of the pedestal through the respective slots 38 and provide anchorages for pivotal connection of the inner ends of the leg braces 16 as at 52. The outer ends of the leg braces 16 may be pivotally connected as at 54 to the stiffen ing webs 14 of the respective legs 14.

For convenience of handling as hereinafter more particularly pointed out, the pedestal has an integral handle 60.

The table top may be of any desired size and shape, and preferably has angle irons such as 62 extending transversely thereacross and suitably secured as by screws 62 to the under face thereof.

The table top 12 may also be provided with a main wooden cross brace 63 upon the under face of which and at the middle, is mounted a socket plate 70 having a tapped socket 65 extending through a corresponding central hole in the crossrace 63. The socket plate 70 may be secured to the table top 12 by suitable screws or the like '72, extending through the same and through cross brace 63. The cross-brace 63 and the angle irons 62 reinforce the Wooden top against splitting into two or more pieces under hard usage. Preferably a border strip 66 of metal about the periphery of the table top protects the same against chipping. The internally screw-threaded socket 65 is adapted to be threaded upon the externally threaded stud 26, on the pedestal, to assemble the table.

In Fig. l, the table is shown in set-up position. To fold the table, the top is removed by turning the same until its tapped socket 65 disengages the screw threaded stud 26 of the pedestal '10. After the top has been removed, it is only necessary to grasp the handle 60 and lift the pedestal, whereupon the legs by reason of their weight, will move by gravity inward, pushing the spider 4244 upward in slots 38 through the medium of braces 16, until the legs have reached the position shown in Fig. 3.

With the several parts in the position shown in Fig. 3, the legs 14 will support the pedestal in an upright position, in which position the pedestal will require comparatively little space for storing.

To set the table up, it is only necessary to grasp the handle 60 with one hand, and with the other hand, move one of the legs 14 about its pivotal point.

-Due to the pivotal connection of the leg braces with the spider member 40, the latter will move downward and will cause corresponding outward movement of each of the other legs to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4, until spider 40 is arrested by ferrule 50.

The top is now positioned upon the pedestal by entering the threaded socket 68 upon the threaded stud 26 and rotating the top until the parts are firmly associated together as in Fig. 4.

While in the present embodiment, the pedestal 10 is illustrated as square in cross-sectional form, and the brackets 32 have been shown and described as right angular members, it is to be understood that the invention is not thus limited,

since other cross-sectional shapes and more or less than four legs may be employed.

V It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which apparatus in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent of the United States is:

1. In a support, a hollow pedestal provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots, a spider member, mounted in said hollow pedestal and having portions projecting through said slots, legs pivotally connected to said pedestal, and leg braces pivotally connected to the projecting portions of the spider member and to said legs.

2. A collapsible table support of tube and bar stock comprising four unitary leg elements, a common bracket for said four leg elements, said bracket comprising four sheet metal pieces rigidly connected together and presenting a rectangular hollow central portion and opposite pairs of protruding leg mounting members, rivets through said latter elements and through the upper parts of said legs to afford pivot mounts for the latter, said bracket member having rigid therewith a table top supporting element.

JOHN W. SHAW. 

